You hear about a lot of places in Ireland, but when one catches you off guard in a pleasant way it's worth mentioning. So it is with Kenmare, down in County Kerry near the Ring of Kerry.
This Ring is a gorgeous drive that unfortunately has become overpopulated with tour buses and the like. Many of the bus tours originate in Killarney, so the tourists head there and ignore a charming town like Kenmare.
Pity, as the Irish would say.
Because the drive from Killarney to Kenmare alone is worth doing. It goes through the Killarney National Park, over mountains and by lakes and past curves that will take your breath away. It's a 21-mile drive that takes an hour and is worth every minute.
That's a prelude to the town. Kenmare is as charming as I can imagine, filled with shops and pubs and restaurants that the locals appreciate as well as the tourists.
I was standing in the pub at our hotel — a fabulous place called The Coachman's — when a couple locals walked in. They seemed pretty tough — or perhaps I seem like a geek. They walked toward the music where a gentleman was playing reels and jigs on a banjo, doing some amazing picking.
One of the "rough" guys looked at the other and said: "This should be lovely." Off went the coats. Out came two Guinesses. They joined the crowd to listen. The music was outstanding — 100 times better than the over-publicized stuff in Doolin. It went from 9:30 to 11:30 and when it ended everyone got up and quietly went home. It was just a great atmosphere — friendly, filled with families, old folks, young … and it was right downstairs in the hotel.
That was the theme of this town. It welcomed tourists, but did not bend over backward to get them. It left a nice feeling of being in a place for a few days and being able to appreciate the place as if were home.
I'm not sure if anyone reading this will go to Ireland ever, but if you do … visit Kenmare if you can (Galway comes in a close second, but that's for another post). 
And if you do, stay at The Coachman's (the building on the right in the picture to the left).
Siobhan Jones runs the place, and she takes an interest in everyone there. I saw her plan routes, suggest sites and plan itineraries for everyone there. She provides an extremely comfortable hotel with huge rooms. The restaurant is outstanding, and the music provides a nice ending to the evening.
Siobhan deserves all the support she can get. It's people like her who make a hotel into a home.
Visit Kenmare. Stay at The Coachman's. Drive around the Beara Peninsula — which is every bit as beautiful as the Ring of Kerry but exponentially less crowded. Then sip a Guiness and enjoy the music.
It's worth all the time and effort to get there.
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I couldn't agree more with your recommendation. We spent a week in Kenmare and it was a fantastic base from which to explore the Ring of Kerry, Killarney National Park, and the Ring of Beara. It didn't feel touristy but it had enough going on (historical sites, plenty of pubs and restaurants, three bookstores, even two betting shops) that you didn't feel claustrophobic. Kenmare reminded me of America 30 years ago. One or two chains, but mostly mom and pops: butchers, hardware stores, five-and-dime.